SUMMER'S SURPRISE HIT?
COMEDY
Ever wonder what McLovin'—Superbad's teen nerd gone wild—grew up to be? Probably somebody like Stu (Helms, of TV's The Office): an uptight dentist turned drunken stud who's one of two wonderfully wacky standout characters in The Hangover, a raunchy comic joyride of a movie. Stu's equal in earning laughs here is man-child Alan (Galifianakis), a bearded Baby Huey with a demonic gleam in his eye.
A slam dunk to be this summer's Wedding Crashers, Hangover follows this ill-matched duo—along with teacher Phil (Cooper) and groom-to-be Doug (Bartha)—when they head to Las Vegas from Los Angeles for a one-night bachelor bash. It turns into a drunken bacchanal during which the groom goes missing. Will Doug's hungover pals find him in time? And what are both a baby and a tiger doing in the quartet's hotel suite? Even if you're stark sober, this frantically propulsive comedy is slaphappy fun. That's in big part due to Helms and Galifianakis, who have dramatically opposing comedy styles. Helms sputters and spins like an overwound mechanical toy, while Galifianakis slides in a laugh line with impish stealth.
John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph R |
CRITIC'S CHOICE
COMEDY
Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph)—in their 30s but still barely settled—are expecting a baby. Hoping to find the perfect place to call home before starting diaper duty, the two embark on a city-hopping journey to visit family and friends (the film brims with sensational cameos, including those by Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) in a terrific comic drama. As deftly directed by Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road), Away We Go is often as breezy as its title, bursting with manic energy. But as the couple discover they must map out their own path and not model themselves on others, it can be poignant and even heartbreaking. Krasinski and, especially, Rudolph give inspired performances—creating vivid characters who are singular and yet everyday enough that you could easily bump into them at the supermarket.
Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel | PG-13 |
COMEDY
Ferrell (left), departing from his usual habits, resists getting naked in this overblown special-effects comedy—though he does scamper about in shorts and, later, his undies. But that's not the scary part. That part would be the rampaging dinosaurs which chase after scientist Rick Marshall (Ferrell) and his time-traveling buddies after they end up in a land where, as Marshall puts it, "the past, present and future are all mashed up." Mashed up perfectly describes Lost, which can't decide if it's a wild and crazy comedy, a laid-back spoof or a full-on Jurassic Park Jr. There are funny lines and bits, but mostly this is a long slog.
>VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964) If you see only one Elvis Presley flick, make it this winner (with Ann-Margret).
OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001) When Matt Damon, George Clooney and pals rob a casino, it's Rat Pack redux deluxe.
THE COOLER (2003) In a beguiling romantic drama worth rediscovering, a habitual loser (William H. Macy, right) turns lucky.
>• The funny actress, 36, shines as a mom-to-be in Away We Go.
HOW WAS THE TRANSITION FROM SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE? It was painless! I'm a real human being and not just some crazy old lady who drinks booze all day and wears huge wigs. It's nice to emote in a way that uses another part of yourself.
YOU'RE EXPECTING YOUR SECOND CHILD [WITH DIRECTOR PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON]. HOW WAS PLAYING A FIRST-TIME MOM? It was neat for me to go backwards a bit and remember what my life was like before I had a baby. As a mom you forget that easygoing lackadaisical time. It's a lovely window of selfishness.
>MY LIFE IN RUINS My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos (left, with Alexis Georgoulis) plays an American tour guide in Greece who gets her groove back in a cloying romantic comedy. The on-location scenery is spectacular, though, making this a cheap virtual vacation—minus the jet lag. (PG-13)
DEPARTURES Winner of the Oscar for best foreign language film, this lovely Japanese drama tells with delicacy and humor how an unemployed cellist (handsome Masahiro Motoki, right, the Brad Pitt of Japan) finds his calling after taking a job handling the ceremonial preparation of corpses for cremation. (PG-13)
>• As a hobby-obsessed heiress in The Brothers Bloom, the Oscar winner, 38, juggles, plays the accordion and even raps.
YOU LEARNED MORE THAN 10 NEW SKILLS. It's like I joined a circus. I did a card trick while delivering a monologue, and it's the hardest thing I've done in my career.
YOU ALSO RAP! Adrien [Brody] was brought up in the hip-hop culture. The look on his face was terrifying.
GOT A REAL-LIFE TALENT? I'm very good at reading bedtime stories to my son [Henry, 3, with her boyfriend, director Darren Aronofsky]. I do all the voices. It's one of my favorite things.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
